Walkthrough industry use-cases of Azure Kubernetes Service
In this article, we’ll explore about Azure Kubernetes Service(AKS), and how industry using it.
Modern applications are increasingly built using containers, which are microservices packaged with their dependencies and configurations. Kubernetes is open-source software for deploying and managing those containers at scale — and it is also the Greek word for helmsmen of a ship or pilot. Build, deliver and scale containerized apps faster with Kubernetes, sometimes referred to as “k8 s” or “k-eights.”
Run your own Kubernetes versus managed Kubernetes
Although Kubernetes comes with significant number of built-in features to simplify container orchestration, it can be challenging to configure, deploy and manage the cluster. An organization running their own orchestration means manually handling processes like lifecycle management, scaling, and scheduling, which requires a lot of time along with in-house expertise and investment.
Instead, leveraging Kubernetes services like Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) means these processes can be handled automatically. In fact, except when an organization requires a high degree of customization because of versioning at the master-node level, managed container orchestration services have significant advantages over running your own Kubernetes, including speed, ease of operations, and cost.
Moving to Azure Kubernetes Service! 🚀
Deployment and managing containerized applications is more easy with a fully managed Kubernetes service. Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) offers serverless Kubernetes, an integrated continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) experience and enterprise-grade security and governance. Unite your development and operations teams on a single platform to rapidly build, deliver and scale applications with confidence.
Microsoft Azure launched this AKS service for general availability in 2018
Apart from being fully managed and economical (you only pay for the resources you consume), AKS also offers various benefits in following deployment scenarios:
- Easy migration of existing applications to containers
- Simplified deployment and management of microservices-based applications
- Rapid scaling
- On-demand IoT device deployment and management
- Machine-learning model training with AKS
- Deploy applications quickly and at scale
Azure Kubernetes Service Features
- Pay only for the nodes (VMs)
- Easier cluster upgrades
- Integrated with various Azure and OSS tools and services
- Kubernetes RBAC and Azure Active Directory Integration
- Enforce rules defined in Azure Policy across multiple clusters
- Kubernetes can scale your Nodes using cluster autoscaler
- Expand your scale even greater by scheduling your containers on Azure Container Instances
Common uses for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
From migrating your existing application to the cloud, or building a complex application that uses machine learning or take advantage of the agility offered by a microservices architecture, AKS is used a lot.
Secure DevOps for AKS
DevOps and Kubernetes are better together. Implementing secure DevOps together with Kubernetes on Azure, one can achieve the balance between speed and security and deliver code faster at scale. Putting guardrails around the development processes using CI/CD with dynamic policy controls and accelerating feedback loop with constant monitoring. And using Azure Pipelines to deliver fast while ensuring enforcement of critical policies with Azure Policy. Azure provides you real-time observability for your build and release pipelines, and the ability to apply compliance audit and reconfigurations easily.
Machine Learning model training with AKS
Training of models using large datasets is a complex and resource intensive task. Using familiar tools such as TensorFlow and Kubeflow can simplify training of Machine Learning models. Our ML models will run in AKS clusters backed by GPU enabled VMs.
Lift and shift to containers with AKS
Easily migrate existing application to container(s) and run within the Azure managed Kubernetes service (AKS). Control access via integration with Azure Active Directory and access SLA-backed Azure Services such as Azure Database for MySQL using OSBA (Open Service Broker for Azure) for your data needs.
Microservices with AKS
Using AKS to simplify the deployment and management of microservices based architecture. AKS streamlines horizontal scaling, self-healing, load balancing, secret management.
Data Streaming scenario
Use of AKS to easily ingest & process a real-time data stream with millions of data points collected via sensors. Enables to perform fast analysis and computations to develop insights into complex scenarios quickly.
How Maersk uses Azure Kubernetes Services
Headquartered in Copenhagen, A.P. Moller — Maersk moves things — a lot of things to a lot of places. As part of its digital transformation efforts, shipping giant A.P. Moller — Maersk needed to streamline IT operations and optimize the value of its IT resources.
Maersk adopted Microsoft Azure, migrated key workloads to the cloud, and modernized its open-source software, which included the adoption of Kubernetes on Azure. Maersk software engineers now spend less time on container software management and more time on innovation and value-added projects. The resulting business value is savings on resource costs, faster solution delivery time, and the ability to attract expert IT talent.
“Using Kubernetes on Azure satisfies our objectives for efficient software development. It aligns well with our digital plans and our choice of open-source solutions.”
— Rasmus Hald: Head of Cloud Architecture
A.P. Moller — Maersk
Implementing AKS in Maersk
As part of its overall cloud migration strategy, Maersk chose Azure Kubernetes Service to handle the automation and management of its containerized applications. (A containerized application is portable runtime software that is packaged with the dependencies and configuration files it needs in order to run, all in one place.) AKS fully supports the dynamic application environment in Maersk without requiring orchestration expertise.
The company uses AKS to help set up, upgrade, and scale resources as needed, without taking its critical applications offline. “We want to focus on using containers as a way to package and run our code in the cloud, not focus on the software required to construct and run the containers,” Hald says.
“Using Kubernetes on Azure satisfies our objectives for efficient software development. It aligns well with our digital plans and our choice of open-source solutions for specific programming languages.”
Summary
Azure Kubernetes Service is a powerful service for running containers in the cloud. Best of all, you only pay for the VMs and other resources consumed, not for AKS itself, so it’s easy to try out.
Resources 📚
If you want to learn and explore more about AKS and Kubernetes, Microsoft AKS docs and and Kubernetes docs will definitely give you a good start.
Also, check out the AKS launch blog which would give you some ideas on what are the thought process and expectations behind this service.
